Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sheikh Zayed Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sheikh Zayed

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $473 in Sheikh Zayed.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $769 in Sheikh Zayed.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,065 in Sheikh Zayed.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 368% more expensive than Sheikh Zayed, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sheikh Zayed is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$3.51 E£182

353.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$15.93 E£827

306.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$3.99 E£207

163.41%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.50 E£78.1

91.33%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$0.31 E£16.28

622.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.12 E£6.38

1150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.22 E£63.1

186.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.95 E£153

31.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.82 E£42.31

39.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.74 E£38.22

136.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.70 E£36.12

151.43%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.40 E£72.5

130.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$3.97 E£206

239.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.33 E£225

82.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$9.62 E£499

64.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.49 E£77.1

55.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.47 E£24.45

261.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.40 E£20.62

402.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.37 E£19.18

564.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.38 E£19.61

384.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.38 E£19.88

426.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.24 E£12.47

704.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.14 E£7.26

464.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$1.70 E£88.2

288.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$5.92 E£307

-3.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.39 E£72.3

-1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.60 E£135

14.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.25 E£13.03

848.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.53 E£27.27

709.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.43 E£22.24

90.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$2.03 E£105

801.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.31 E£15.90

564.52%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.3K €29.5K

$35.4K E£1.8M

-3.15%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.3K €33.8K

$33.6K E£1.7M

16.91%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$148 €127

$11.24 E£583

1215.57%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.52 €17.67

$5.64 E£293

263.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$10.13 E£526

291.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$39.73 E£2,062

20.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$9.74 E£505

94.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$3.02 E£157

203.97%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$614 €529

$88.3 E£4,581

595.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,875 E£97.3K

755.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$27.13 E£1,408

285.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$47.83 E£2,483

-12.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$110 E£5,693

-14.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$50.7 E£2,630

136.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$189 E£9,795

762.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$99.5 E£5,164

1161.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$433 E£22.5K

599.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$176 E£9,108

1051.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,073 E£55.7K

627.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$577 E£30.0K

639.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$132 E£6,844

1115.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-77.59%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sheikh Zayed: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $189 in Sheikh Zayed. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1116% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $16.00 in Sheikh Zayed for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $129 per month, with Sheikh Zayed cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Sheikh Zayed: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sheikh Zayed differ by about 368% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $473 including rent). Sheikh Zayed is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 1116% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $189 in Sheikh Zayed. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $473 in Sheikh Zayed – a 368% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $473 in Sheikh Zayed versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sheikh Zayed but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sheikh Zayed the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Sheikh Zayed are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sheikh Zayed gentler on the wallet – expenses run 368% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.